China, Taiwan Both Lay Claim to Jeremy Lin

By
Paul Mozur And
Jenny W. Hsu

Updated Feb. 15, 2012 8:47 pm ET

TAIPEI—Though most are just content to watch basketball phenomenon Jeremy Lin play, the Taiwanese-American's performance over the past two weeks has led both Chinese and Taiwanese to lay claim to Mr. Lin, opening up a debate in social and traditional media about just who the Harvard graduate represents in Asia.

In Taiwan, American influence looms large and the island has its own professional basketball and baseball leagues. But the interest in those sports has often outstripped the island's ability to produce internationally...